How to Naturally Treat Urinary Incontinence

by | Feb 24, 2023

Top Exercises for Urinary Incontinence in Males

Urinary incontinence is a topic that affects millions of people but is often not talked about openly. Also known as accidental urine leakage, it is a common condition that can occur at any age and significantly impact a person’s quality of life. Many people turn to urologists when they start to experience problems with their bladder control. But, this is not the only way to handle these kinds of issues — there are also exercises for urinary incontinence in males that can be helpful.

Whether you are currently dealing with incontinence or looking for information to help a loved one, our goal is to provide accurate and helpful information to better understand this condition and the treatment options available. In this blog, we will explore the causes, symptoms, exercises, and other treatment options for urinary incontinence, as well as tips and strategies for managing the condition daily. 

What Is Urinary Incontinence?

Urinary incontinence refers to a reduced ability to control when you do or do not urinate. Many people do not realize that, from a specific medical perspective, our bodies are constantly ready to urinate by nature. We have control over our ability to urinate because we have muscles in place that help squeeze the urinary area and impede urination.

When we relax these muscles, we can consciously choose to start urinating. The only time we could urinate would be when there was no malfunction in our bodies.

Instead, when people lose the ability to control their urination, the body defaults to letting urine leave the body. In other words, allowing the body to eliminate urine is vital even when people’s urinary health declines. And if we need to have firm muscles to control our urine flow, then strengthening these muscles can help manage urinary incontinence.

Related: Overactive Bladder vs. Urinary Incontinence: What’s the Difference?

Symptoms of Urinary Incontinence

Here is a list of common symptoms to look out for if you are experiencing urinary incontinence: 

  • Leakage of urine when coughing, sneezing, laughing, or exercising
  • A strong, sudden urge to urinate followed by an involuntary loss of urine
  • Leakage of urine during sleep
  • Frequent urination, including during the night
  • Difficulty starting or stopping the flow of urine
  • Inability to hold urine long enough to reach the toilet
  • Involuntary loss of urine associated with a sense of fullness in the bladder
  • Involuntary loss of urine without warning or a clear trigger
  • Retention of urine in the bladder
  • Painful urination

It’s important to note that some people may experience a combination of symptoms, and various underlying medical conditions or lifestyle factors can cause urinary incontinence. It’s best to consult a healthcare professional if you have any questions or concerns.

What Causes Urinary Incontinence in Males?

One of the leading causes of this condition in males is weakening muscles. However, men can also develop this issue in response to diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and several other diseases.

A larger prostate can also increase the chance that a man develops these issues as time goes by. Slowly growing prostates tend to become larger over time. Although all those different issues can contribute to urinary incontinence, they do not necessarily have to be treated to manage it.

No matter the cause of male urinary incontinence, strengthening the muscles in the relevant body regions may help restore control over urination.

Learn More: Tips From a Urologist: How to Manage Urinary Incontinence

Top Exercises for Male Urinary Incontinence

Many exercises can strengthen the relevant muscles for managing urinary incontinence. However, specific exercises target the appropriate muscles more than others. 

Kegels

Kegels are one of the most effective exercises you can perform to strengthen your pelvic floor. One of the great things about Kegels is that you can do them while sitting, standing, or doing almost anything. If all goes well, they may manage your condition without requiring medical treatment from a urologist.

To perform a Kegel, a man must focus on flexing the muscles around the pelvic floor. They must first learn to identify which muscles to flex to do this. When a man interrupts a flow of urine, he does so by clenching certain muscles that impede urination. These are the same muscles that need to be strengthened to restore urinary control.

For this reason, one way to identify the correct muscles is by performing the same action when interrupting a urine flow. At first, it may be challenging to know if you are targeting the right muscles. However, if you continue to practice, you will find it easier to consciously control these muscles.

To perform a kegel, you will squeeze your pelvic floor muscles and hold them squeezed for about 3 seconds. Then, you can relax the muscles. The more reps you perform, the faster you strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. That also means that you can improve your urinary continents faster as well.

Advanced Kegels

You should do about 20 Kegels in a row when you start. However, you can then build up to performing about 40 repetitions of Kegels twice or more each day. You can also experiment with more prolonged contractions as you develop these muscles. After enough practice, you may be able to hold your muscles clenched for 10 seconds or longer.

Strength Training Options

Although Kegels are effective for targeting pelvic floor muscles, you can incidentally target pelvic floor muscles while engaging in other exercises. Squats and deadlifts are great exercises for activating the pelvic floor muscles. You can perform these exercises with your body weight alone or by adding weights.

Finding Treatment for Urinary Incontinence

Learning about exercises for urinary incontinence in males can go a long way to improving your quality of life. In cases when these exercises are not enough, and you continue to experience problems, it may help to reach out to a quality urologist office near you.

Here, at the Urology Specialist of the Carolinas, we provide a combination of compassion and incredible expertise in these conditions –– helping men reclaim control over their bodies. To learn more about how we can help you manage your urological conditions, reach out to the Urology Specialist of the Carolinas by clicking the button below!

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